


His Arms Are Warm And They Hold Me Tight

by A_Tomb_With_A_View



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex has anxiety, M/M, Reggie has fibromyalgia, She’s the boss and they all know it, There is a small bit of violence, alex and ray brunch together, caleb is a dick, ig panic attack?, julie and Willie are siblings c’mon and fight me, julie is a wee powerhouse, like not explicitly but basically that’s what happens, request, they/them willie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:13:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27868193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Tomb_With_A_View/pseuds/A_Tomb_With_A_View
Summary: I’m so sorry,” he apologised immediately. “I was just caught up in my own- Caleb?”“Alexander,” Caleb drawled, signature smirk plastered on. “What a lovely surprise to see you here. I don’t suppose you’re looking for Willie?”Alex glanced to either side of him, berating himself for being stupid enough to go out alone when they knew they’d pissed Caleb off.“Oh. Uhm. No.” He laughed awkwardly. “Of course not.
Relationships: Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Willie, Luke Patterson & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 225





	His Arms Are Warm And They Hold Me Tight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Millie_Rose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millie_Rose/gifts).



> Buonanotte bambinos, basically this was a request for Caleb fucks w Alex and Willie says hang on there for a second pal how about no, but put much more eloquently lol   
> Willie is they/them a) bc why tf not, and b) bc my friend irl has just come out to me as non-binary and I wanted the practice lol   
> Hopefully y’all enjoy this, it’s definitly more angsty than I’m used to but hopefully it’s still alright! Enjoy :)

Alex wasn’t sure how he ended up back on the street where he’d first met Willie. 

It wasn’t like he’d planned for it, he’d just been wandering around, mind whirling after the other ghost had returned to Caleb. The street was kind of comforting, really, and he enjoyed reminding himself of their first meeting, of the early days of ghost-hood before Caleb got involved and everything became a mess. 

Too caught up in his own head, he walked straight into someone and stumbled back, a mixture of impact and déjà vu leaving him dizzy. 

“I’m so sorry,” he apologised immediately. “I was just caught up in my own- Caleb?” 

“Alexander,” Caleb drawled, signature smirk plastered on. “What a lovely surprise to see you here. I don’t suppose you’re looking for Willie?” 

Alex glanced to either side of him, berating himself for being stupid enough to go out alone when they  _ knew  _ they’d pissed Caleb off. 

“Oh. Uhm. No.” He laughed awkwardly. “Of course not. 

Caleb hummed and reached out to pat Alex’s cheek. “Let’s say we keep it that way, hmm? You stay with your little band and your pathetic living friend, and you stay away from my club and my ghosts. Even Willie.  _ Especially  _ Willie.” 

Alex jerked away from Caleb’s touch. “You can’t just - they’re a  _ person.  _ Every single ghost under control - they’re  _ all  _ people, and we will figure out how we got out, and we’ll free everyone else.” 

Caleb grabbed him by the throat and pain radiated out from his hand, similar to the awful energy-sapping jolts from before Julie had saved them. 

“Listen here, boy,” Caleb snarled. “You and your cute boyband have no power over me. Do you understand that? Do you think I couldn’t trap you at my club if I really thought you were worth the energy? Do you think I wanted you around as anything more than a visually pleasing plaything?” 

Alex grabbed at Caleb’s hand, the other arm scrabbling at his chest. He didn’t even know why he was panicking - he was  _ dead -  _ but his chest felt like it was caving in and everything was so close and so big and he couldn’t  _ breathe.  _

“Now, you’re going to stay away from my club, from  _ Willie,  _ and you’re going to keep doing your fun little thing in your cute little garage, and if I see you near my club or with one of  _ my  _ ghosts again, you will  _ wish  _ you’d just ceased to exist when I offered you the opportunity. Are we clear?” 

Before Alex could answer, Caleb’s hand glowed purple and a final, all consuming jolt of pain tore through him, and when the white that had filled his vision finally receded, Caleb was gone. 

——

By the time Alex made it back to the garage - he knew he could’ve poofed back but the idea of doing something so inherently not-alive made his skin crawl - his hands had finally stopped shaking, but pain was still radiating out from his throat and his mind was a raging battle between the need to see Willie, and the need to keep them safe. 

Thankfully - or not so - that decision was made for him, as Willie was the first person he saw, the other ghost fretfully pacing back and forth as though they were going for some kind of Alex-impersonation prize. 

Alex attempted to choke down the surge of  _ uncomfortablebadnotright _ that was clawing its way up his throat at the sight of them, but everything in him screamed that Willie needed to be at the club, safe,  _ not here not here not here. _

“Alex!” The second Willie caught sight of him, they threw themselves at him, wrapping their arms around him tightly. “Dude, no one knew where you were!” 

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry.” He hugged them back, hoping his grip was tonight enough that Willie didn’t notice that his hands had started shaking again. “I was just going for a walk after you left and I..and I - ” he cut himself off and pulled back enough to cup Willie’s cheek with one hand, methodically wrapping a piece of Williams hair around his finger before unwrapping it again with the other. “I’m s-so, I’m so sorry,” he repeated, pulling Willie back in jerkily, one hand on the back of their head to tuck them into the crook of his neck while he blinked tears away, hands fluttering up and down their back, trying to reassure himself that Willie was safe. “I-I didn’t mean to worry you.” 

“Hey, hey, what happened?” Willie waited until Alex’s arms relaxed around them a little, and guided him back into the garage and sat him on the sofa, Reggie and Luke immediately settling on his other side, “c’mon, talk to me, man.” 

Alex gripped Willie’s hand like a lifeline, fixating on the cheesy slogan on his jumper to avoid eye contact. “I. Um, I ran into Caleb, on the street where..” he trailed off, knowing the others would get it - and to give himself a second to swallow round the lump in his throat. “He told me - well, told me to tell you, I guess - that. Uh, well. To stay… to stay away from-from you? A-and the other ghosts, the other ghosts too…” he rubbed his throat, hoping it wasn’t too obvious. 

Willie’s jaw set angrily, but they ran a hand through his hair as gently as possible. “Not a chance, babe. Okay? You haven’t taught me drums yet, and I’m sticking around until I can at  _ least  _ play the solo from Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin.” 

“He’s gonna hurt you if you don’t,” Alex insisted, ignoring the warmth that bubbled up momentarily as Willie’s words. “I’d rather.. I’d rather you were safe, I don’t want to put you in-in any more danger than we - than  _ I  _ \- already have.” 

“I can’t just let him keep putting down new rules every time he feels threatened, though. One week it’s no messing with lifers, the next it’s not skating in certain areas, the next it’s not seeing you, what’s gonna come after that? No skating at all? No friends who aren’t in the club? No leaving the club? I’ve gotta stop letting him walk all over me,” Willie argued, voice firm but movements still gentle. Alex didn’t know if it was wariness at Reggie’s presence or just their attempt at keeping the situation as calm and un-escalated as possible, but with their hand in his hair and their weight against his side, the  _ uncomfortablebadnotright _ feeling was slowly inching back to the swirling pit that was his chest, so he didn’t bother to question it. 

Luke spoke up, “we just worry about you, buddy. Especially ‘Lex, but we  _ all  _ want you to be safe. If you wanna throw down with Caleb, though, we’ll support you.”

“Totally,” Reggie added, nudging his shoulder against Alex’s. “We can just rock up at the club and be like hey Caleb what’s poppin’ and then just fight him.” 

Alex tried to laugh, but it caught in his throat and triggered a ripple of pain, less intense than the initial shock had been when Caleb’s hand was on him, but not by much, leaving him breathless. He tilted his head back to rest on the back at the sofa, eyes squeezed shut. “ _ Jesus f-fuck.”  _

“Alex?” Willie squeezed his hand. “Alex, what’s happening?” 

Reggie was gone in a heartbeat, returning moments later with Juliec who was holding an ice pack.

“I don’t know what’s happening but he was rubbing his throat earlier and ‘Lex doesn’t like hot water bottles because they’re heavy and the way they squish makes him feel weird and the other thing you use for pain is ice packs but I don’t like ice packs because they hurt because fibromyalgia makes you temperature sensitive so this was the best thing I could think of,” he rambled nervously, one hand rubbing his sternum, the other motioning to Julie. “Plus Julie makes everything better.” 

“Alex will you just tell us what’s happening?” Luke asked, kneeling up next to Alex. “I’m freaking out here, man.” 

Alex exhaled shakily, then looked back at the rest of them. “When…” he cleared his throat and held his hand out for the ice pack, smiling gratefully at Julie. “When I saw Caleb he… let’s just say he wanted to make sure his - make sure his message got thr-through.” He pressed the ice pack against his throat, hissing at the initial jolt. “He grabbed my..he-he grabbed my throat and-and then it was like the jolts, but from where his hand was, not my chest and he told me to stay away from the club and you, Willie, and-and that if we didn’t he’d… if we didn’t he’d make us wish we’d...if we didn’t he’d make us wish we’d ceased to exist when he’d off-offered us that chance.” His voice trailed to a whisper, and as much as he tried to keep himself calm by playing out his latest drum solo on his thigh, all four of them stood so close was too much too close, and before he could he even try to articulate it he was tearing himself out of Luke and Willie’s arms and plastering himself against the cold garage wall. 

Willie followed him after a moment. “‘Lex? What’s going on, man?” 

“I can’t  _ breathe,”  _ Alex managed, sinking down so he could fit under the awning that had probably been used to store wood at some point. “It was- it was too much a-and - and I couldn’t breathe and I needed to… I needed to..” 

“That’s okay,” Willie sat down a couple feet away, legs crossed. “Do you need me to get someone?” 

Alex shook his head. “No, no, I’m fine. I’m fine. I just. What if he hurts you? Or-or Reg and Luke? Or  _ Julie _ ? I don’t want you to leave but I-I can’t see a way out, a way out, where nobody gets-gets hurt?” 

“We’ll figure this out, I promise.” Willie offered their hand, but didn’t move any closer, not closing their fingers around Alex’s even when he reached out to take it cautiously, letting Alex set the pace. “I’m not leaving you, and nobody’s getting hurt.” 

——

Honestly, Willie was pretty proud of themself for not radiating enough rage to level at least a couple blocks the second Alex had essentially patted them down when he’d returned from his walk, and they were even more proud of themself for keeping it together long enough to see Alex calmed down and settled in the blanket fort in the corner built especially for Alex’s anxiety attacks and Reggie’s flares. 

It was even more impressive that they’d managed to stave off exploding until Luke pulled them aside, hands shaking and jaw set with fury. 

“So, we’re gonna do something about this, right?” Luke asked them, voice tight and low. 

Willie nodded, porch light fritzing in response to their anger. “I don’t know what, though. Alex is right, Caleb’s kind of got us in a corner here. If I leave, Caleb isn’t just gonna leave you guys alone, even if he says he will, and if I stay, you’ll get hurt. I can’t - I  _ won’t  _ cause that again.” 

Luke squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, you know none of us blame you for last time. As you said, you didn’t even know Caleb was gonna do that when you introduced us, and you helped us even though he owns your soul.” 

“And I hate that!” The porch light exploded just as they clenched their fists. “I’m so sick of everything being so conditional to what he wants! I have to earn my skating time, Willie over William, my nights off from doing the same fucking dance for an audience of people so rich they can’t imagine what hardship feels like, and it all leads back to a deal i made that I didn’t understand with a man that I trusted that I shouldn’t have!” 

“So we get your soul back,” Luke said. “We best that piece of shit into the fucking floorboards, take back your soul, then you sweep Alex off his feet, free everyone else in the club, skate wherever whenever, etcetera etcetera?” 

Willie blinked. “Oh, no,” they laughed awkwardly, though it came out kind of strangled with how hard they were clenching their jaw, “there’s no way. I’ve tried, I’ve asked everyone, I’ve looked everywhere. There’s nothing. Short of finding out how Caleb makes deals binding and tricking him into one… there’s nothing.” They kicked the wall furiously, snorting bitterly when their foot went right through, far too distracted to keep themself solid. “He never lets anybody go.” 

Luke gripped their shoulders. “Listen to me, pal. We are getting you  _ out.  _ We are going to get everyone out of there, even if we do end up having to trick Caleb into one his own deals, or figuring out how to make the stamps. Okay?” 

Willie nodded, staring at a point above Luke’s shoulder. “I gotta go, man, but thank you, really. Look after Alex for me?” 

“‘Course,” Luke eyed them suspiciously, but let go anyways. “Don’t go doing anything stupid without us.” 

“I would never,” Willie assured him, then poofed out.

——

Willie had always thought there was something creepy about the Hollywood Ghost Club when the lifers were gone, and the music and the lights were off. It was never truly empty - there was always a couple of ghosts lingering instead of enjoying the world - but there was only one Willie was there to see, and Caleb wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Caleb!” They called, voice resonating oddly. They’d never had cause - or the bravery - to make themself the centre of attention on the club. They were one of Caleb’s favourites, too in tune with the ever changing technology of the living world not to be, but Caleb’s favour was the possessive sort, so they’d never really talked to many of the other ghosts, either skating and exploring or answering to Caleb’s every beck and call. Hearing their own voice bouncing off the walls and ceiling like they laid any claim to the place was jarring to say the least, but it comforted them - even here, where Caleb owned every inch, where his very essence and malevolence had seeped into the foundations themselves, they had a voice, and an echo. 

“Caleb!” They yelled again, only barely managing not to flinch when the ghost himself appeared, a frown flickering across his face before his usual pleased expression was fixed firmly into place.

“William,” Caleb said, smile condescending. “You really can’t just expect me to be here every time you need me, I have other matters - and ghosts - to attend to.” 

“It’s  _ Willie _ ,” they corrected, tone already a hundred times more aggressive and assertive than they’d ever dared to be around Caleb, but hands shaking in their hoodie pocket. “And I came here to say you can’t force me to be away from Alex and my friends. They’re not a threat to you, and our deal doesn’t give you limitations on where and with whom I can go.” 

“Ah,  _ Willie.  _ I wondered when you might get a little rebellious on me.” Caleb cupped their face the way their mom had always done, tilting them side to side, then gripped their jaw painfully tight. “But do  _ not _ mistake my past leniency as my being a pushover, understood? All I have to do to give you one of those stamps is take a little of your soul, and since you’re entire  _ being  _ is your soul a hair or two will do, and you’ll find I really can limit where and with whom you go.” 

_ Your entire being is your soul.  _ The thought bounced around their mind as Caleb continued threatening them, fingertips digging into their jaw, until an idea finally struck. 

Willie let themself deflate a little and cut Caleb off. “Yeah. Um. You’re right, I’m so sorry, I don’t even know what came over with me, I just…” they looked up at Caleb, hoping their smile came across as bashful, and not like they were trying their hardest not to grind their teeth. “I - I just really liked him, y’know?” 

“Ah, of course Willie. It’s okay,” Caleb said, softening immediately, patting Willie’s cheek where they could still feel the imprint of his fingernails. “I understand.”

“Can I..” they scuffed their shoe against the floor uncomfortably. “Would you- I don’t. Um. Can I have a hug?” Their voice went a little high at the end, but if anything that seemed to help. 

“Just this once,” Caleb agreed, folding his arms around them in quite possibly the most awkward hug ever. “You know I don’t want to hurt you, right? I just want to keep you safe, and that band could threaten the fabric of our entire world. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if you got hurt because you placed your trust in a boy who.. , well, who simply couldn’t keep you safe.” 

Willie nodded against Caleb’s chest, dipping their hand into his waistcoat jacket, carefully removing the simple chain that Willie had heard belonged to a pocket watch Caleb kept in his office. They held on for another minute to make sure Caleb didn’t notice, trying not to revel too much in the skin on skin contact, then pulled back. “Thanks, Caleb. Could I, um. Would you mind if I saw Alex one last time? Just to...y’know say goodbye, remind him to not reveal ghosts to the lifers, and stuff?” 

“One last time,” Caleb allowed, “but not tonight. There’s a new piece of choreo that you’d kill, and I want you to learn it. Dante can run you through it.” 

“I - okay.” Willie nodded and fought the urge to gag as they inched back, skin crawling. “I’ll go find him.” 

——

Alex was pretty close to losing his goddamn mind. 

He hadn’t seen Willie since that night with Caleb, and as much as he wanted his partner to be safe and tucked away in the Hollywood Ghost Club where nothing could hurt them, and where Caleb wouldn’t feel the need to, he missed them more than he’d thought possible. 

It was an odd feeling, he thought he’d gotten used to longing for the impossible - longing for his parent’s acceptance, for Bobby to be with them, for his sister, for the little stray calico that had finally started trusting him three days before it all went wrong - but Willie hadn’t been the impossible, they’d been right there, reciprocating Alex’s feelings, accommodating his anxiety, settling into his friendship group like they’d known them all their life. Alex had gotten so used to reaching out and finding a hand he could hold, that now that Willie was gone, he felt just as much like the rug had been ripped out from under him as he had when they’d died. 

He’d talked himself through what he wanted to say to Willie if he ever saw the other ghost again; how close he thought he was to falling in love with them, how much they meant to him even as a friend, how he hoped he’d been able to help them even a fraction of how much they’d helped him, and to please, god, never scare him like that again. He’d hashed it out in his head, sternly informed several mirrors that showed no reflection, gotten Julie to rate it on how moving and honest it was, asked Reggie if there was anything missing, told Luke in quiet whispers that he was pretty sure Willie was it for him. 

So obviously, when Willie showed up in the middle of a halfhearted attempt at writing the drum beat for a song Reggie had asked him to help with, his voice was squashed by a lump in his throat, and the only thing he could do was blink away tears and practically launch himself at Willie, clutching them close like if he held tight enough, they’d never leave. 

“Hey, ‘Lex I’m okay,” Willie murmured, though they held him just as close, “everything’s okay. Caleb just wanted to keep an eye on me for a few days.” 

“Does he even know you’re here?” He asked, voice muffled by Willie’s shoulder. “Are you gonna get in trouble? Baby, if it’s not safe for you-” 

“Woah, Lexi.” Willie laughed fondly, pushing Alex back until they could rest their foreheads together. “He knows I’m here; he said I could say goodbye, that kind of thing. But I think I’ve got a plan, and I think it requires Julie, so we’ll need the gang.” 

Alex breathed out shakily, moving one hand up to rest on the back of Willie’s neck. “In a minute? Please, I just. I need - I need to..” 

“‘Course, man.” Willie smoothed their thumb across his cheekbone. “Take as long as you need.” 

After a couple of minutes, the odd swirl of panic and relief finally began to recede, and Alex hugged Willie close again. “Okay, I’m good,” he murmured. 

Willie kissed his cheek. “Good to hear, hotdog. Can you get the other three? I think… babe, I think I’ve figured out how we can beat Caleb.”

Alex paused just as he was about to poof to the kitchen, where Reggie was almost certainly chatting with Ray - they’d become just as close as Reggie had expected they would after they’d become visible via Julie’s super weird magic powers - a confusing mix of apprehension and excitement making him feel sick. 

Willie squeezed his hand. “I promise it’ll be fine. Go get your friends.” 

——

Willie had known they’d been missing Alex - of course they had, and Reggie and Luke and Julie - but they really hadn’t expected how close they’d come to tears with Alex finally within arm’s reach of them, hadn’t even begun to imagine how much it would settle them just to hold him again, fine hair tickling their cheek and strong arms keeping them from falling to pieces. 

It was hard to let Alex leave, and they’d had to reason with themself just to keep from following after him, despite the thirty seconds it took for him to reappear with the boys, promising Julie was following, and return to Willie’s side. 

When Julie finally appeared, after milliseconds or eons, Willie couldn’t be sure, it took them another moment to untangle themself from Alex and grab the whiteboard pen they’d got specifically so Willie could speak to Julie in case her magic didn’t extend beyond her boys. 

“So,” they began, rapping the pen against the whiteboard to make sure the others were listening. “When I talked to Caleb the other - after the last time I saw you guys - he was going on about I could hurt you blah blah blah, how just because I’ve been nice to you doesn’t mean I’m a pushover blah blah blah, anyways, then he said that all you need to do the stamp stuff is take the essence of someone’s soul.”

Reggie coughed and raised his hand, wedged between Alex and Julie in a way that couldn’t possibly be comfortable. “That sounds kind of difficult. Unless he means grey matter. Does he mean grey matter?” 

“Dude, what the fuck is grey matter?” Luke asked, leaning across Julie to give Reggie a weird look.

“Uh, brains. Dude. Duh.” Reggie rolled his eyes. “Like, the centre of consciousness?” 

Luke scrunched his nose up. “How do you even know that? We dropped out of school before we started brain stuff in biology.”

Reggie shrugged, ducking his head sheepishly. “I’ve been doing some online classes with Ray.” 

“Oh, that’s awesome, bro!” Luke held his fist out, grinning broadly when Reggie bumped their knuckles together. “I bet you’re the smartest student they’ve ever had.”

“Smarter than you, that’s for sure,” Alex jibed, smiling fondly. 

Willie cleared their throat as Luke made a pained noise and clutched his chest jokingly. “As adorable as this is, Reg is kinda right. When you’re alive, your soul is basically just your consciousness, but conservation of energy-”

“Energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transferred,” Reggie and Julie recited in unison. 

“-means that a little bit of energy keeps the… I don’t know, uh, imprint, basically, of your soul, which dissipates when you cross over, but as a ghost, it’s  _ you.  _ So your clothes, your instruments, all of that? It’s all made of that energy. Your essence.” 

“So,” Alex frowned, eyebrows drawing together, “basically, what you’re saying is if you have a bit of that energy - say, Reg’s necklace, Luke’s beanie, that kind of thing - you’d be able to put the stamps on us?” 

“Exactly!” Willie pointed at him, nodding excitedly. “But Caleb told me that even as much as a single hair is enough, that’s how he could get you guys. When you were dancing, it would’ve been so easy for him to have taken something.”

“But we don’t have anything of Caleb’s,” Alex pointed out, just as Reggie spoke up.

“So how did Julie undo it?” 

“I’m getting to that!” Willie waved a hand. “Right, I stole Caleb’s pocket watch chain a few days ago, so we’ve got that one covered. My theory is that Julie has excess energy, I don’t know why, which is why she can undo the stamps. When she tells you she loves you, she’s physically replacing the energy Caleb stole with her own - her love for you, and her love for music are physical, tangible entities. Apart, maybe not strong enough to pull it off, but you guys  _ are  _ her love for music. The combination? More than enough.”

“But that…” Julie shifted uncomfortably. “I can’t do that for all of the ghosts at the Hollywood Ghost Club. If you’re right about it being linked to music… Willie, I can’t even do that for  _ you.”  _ She blinked, eyes going glassy with a film of tears. “I can’t lose anybody else…”

Willie crouched in front of her, taking her hands in theirs. “You won’t have to, Julie-bean,” they promised, squeezing her fingers gently. “We don’t need you to do that, I don’t think you’d have enough energy - not to survive freeing hundreds of ghosts. But you  _ do  _ have enough energy to use Caleb’s chain the same way he used our stuff.” 

“I-I don’t know how,” she whispered, gripping onto them. “I’m just - I’m just a girl who likes to sing… I can’t do this, I’m not… I can’t do this.” 

“All you need to do is hold this chain, and think about it as a part of Caleb, the same way these boys are a part of you. Think about it being connected to a fishhook that’s caught in his chest.” 

“Damn, Willie.” Luke whistled lowly. “How’d you even know what to do?” 

Willie grinned. “I tracked down a witch.” 

“You tracked down a  _ what?”  _ The three boys asked at once, high fiving absently. 

“A witch,” Willie repeated, fist bumping Reggie and Luke when they offered. “Seriously, guys, it was the coolest thing ever. But she explained all of that, and told me what to say to you, Julie-bean.” 

“So I just… I just need to… reel him in?” Julie confirmed, letting go of one of Willie’s hands so she could grab Luke’s. “Just like a fish?” 

“You know it.” They nodded, smiling encouragingly. 

“Okay.” Julie took a deep breath, then nodded. “Give me the chain.” 

Willie handed it over, then moved to tuck themself into Alex’s side, kissing his jaw lightly. “You okay, ‘Lex?”

Alex smiled weakly and pressed his cheek against their temple. “Yeah. I’m not a huge fan of bringing Caleb here, but this is Julie’s studio. She’s got the power here.” 

“She’s got this,” Willie reassured him. “She’s a little powerhouse.” 

“You’re telling me.” Alex laughed. “I’ve seen her yell at Luke, I know.

“Well, well, well,” Caleb said, appearing as always in a dramatic flash of smoke and purple light before Willie could respond. “Isn’t this cute.” 

Julie glared and stood up. “You know what I want.”

“Give me the chain, girlie.” 

“Release their souls. All of them,” she demanded, and Willie felt a tug in their gut, like she was drawing on the four of them. In their peripheral, they could see her glowing slightly, a soft glow the same colour as the dahlia they’d seen her perform with at the Orpheum. 

Caleb glowered. “This is ridiculous. You have no power here, little darling Julie. Lifers can’t affect the dead.”

Julie clenched her fist around the chain, and Caleb howled, doubling over. “We both know how far this can go,” she warned. “All you have to do is release their souls. Offer them jobs, or something, if you need them that bad.” 

Alex gripped their wrist, whole body tense, but his gaze was as steady as the others, jaw set and eyes unforgiving. Even so, he flashed Willie a small smile when they tapped his thigh lightly. 

“You…” Caleb panted, gripping the wall for support. “You really expect… me to believe, that you could take this… all the way? You don’t have it in you.” 

“You don’t know anything, Covington. I would do anything for my siblings, and even if I didn’t love these four with every single part of me, I’d be pretty damn willing to allow a bit of energy to dissipate into the universe so that hundreds of souls could go free.” She squeezed the chain tighter, and Caleb half collapsed against the wall. 

“Okay! …Okay,” he gave in, spitting on the floor in front of her. “I’ll let them go free. Now give me the fucking chain!” 

“Not until Willie confirms that you’ve done it,” Julie insisted, tugging on the chain with her other hand. 

Caleb let out a pained groan, and tugged a sheaf of paper from his breast pocket. After a moment of them staring at him, purple flames erupted from his palms, and the paper quickly burned to ashes. 

Willie stared in awe as the world around them flickered into full colour, shades of red and blue and pink that they’d forgotten existed, sagging against Alex when a rush of relief and not-pain rushed through them. “It worked,” they breathed, looking up into Alex’s eyes. They’d always been an oddly pretty shade of grey, but now they were some kind of verdigris, and Willie was pretty sure they’d never seen a better colour in their existence. 

Reggie’s whooping brought them out of their reverie, but they were pretty sure they’d have to schedule some time in with Alex to study the exact colour for hours, just to make sure they could describe it exactly. 

“Oh my god,” Julie whispered, stumbling back until she reached the sofa, then practically collapsed onto it. “Dios  _ mío.” _

“Julie!” Willie practically clambered across Alex to get to her. “Oh my god, Julie-bean. Are you okay? Do you need anything?” 

“I’m fine.” She grinned up at them breathlessly, grabbing their hand loosely. “Are you?” 

“I am,” they pulled her into a hug, trying not to hold too tight but acknowledging that they probably were. “Thanks to you. Thank you so fucking much, Julie-bean. You have no idea how much this means, not just that you’ve freed me, but... everyone.” They sniffled and kissed her hair. “I don’t even know how to repay you, but I love you too.” 

She squeezed them back just as tightly. “I would’ve done it just for ‘Lex,” she told them quietly. “But you’re just as much my sibling as him and Reg, and siblings don’t have debts. You’d do it for me.”

“In a heartbeat,” they agreed, closing their eyes to try to stave off tears. 

“Now go cuddle with Alex for a while,” she teased, laughing wetly. “I think you’ve both earned it.” 

——

“Hey, baby,” Alex murmured, eyes still half shut. 

Willie shifted, patting Alex’s chest tiredly. “Hmm?” 

“You should meet Ray. He’s like… our dad. You’d like him, he’s cool.” 

“Did you need to wake me up to tell me this?” They complained, tugging on the drawstrings of the hoodie they’d stolen from Luke to block the slanted light coming through the window. 

“Yeah… because…” Alex laughed awkwardly. “We have breakfast on Sunday mornings together… and I wanted to introduce you. As my partner-datemate thingy.” 

“O-Oh..” Willie stammered, feeling their cheeks flood with heat. “Are you… are you sure? You don’t think he’ll be weird?” 

Alex smiled at him lazily and pulled him up for a kiss. “I love you, and Julie loves you, and Reggie loves you, and Luke loves you. Ray loves you by proxy already.” 

They blinked dazedly for a moment. “I love you too. Um… do you… do you get more confident when you’re sleepy?” 

“Nah,” Alex shook his head. “I just know I don’t need to be nervous around you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are much appreciated if you enjoy this, and if you’ve got a request for me, please feel free to drop an ask or a message on tumblr, idk how to allow anon, but I prefer to keep y’all updated as I go along anyways, but I promise I am very polite and friendly :))  
> -Meg


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